Katsumi brings a parade of sushi and hot plates to the 14th Street NW corridor. | Scott Suchman The party-starting team behind D.C.’s popular Bar Chinois gave its younger Logan Circle sibling a big glow-up this winter. Katsumi is set to open for dinner on Thursday, February 12, replacing i ts short-lived predecessor Bar Japonais (1520 14th Street NW).  The Rhythm Eats team quietly closed its “neo-fusion” izakaya Bar Japonais along the tony nightlife corridor in late 2025 to figure out what they wanted for the space. For its new life as Katsumi, there’s a laser-lens focus on Japanese food in a more intimate atmosphere that includes half the seat count (65, down from over 100) and DJ vibes on weekends.  “When we opened Japonais as a French-Japanese concept, we only had a little bit of sushi,” partner Dean Mosones tells Eater. “We are now focused on just being a Japanese restaurant.” Katsumi fills somewhat of a raw-fish void left behind on the strip when celebrity chef Michael Schlow’s Nama Ko flopped fast in 2024. At its core, the rebrand capitalizes on the stellar slice skills of its executive chef, Masaaki “Uchi” Uchino, who came on board a year ago with credentials at Michelin-starred places like Sushi Nakazawa (first in New York, then in D.C.).  Despite his classical training, the Fukuoka-born chef’s not afraid to stray away from tradition. Toro caviar sashimi with cucumber, and teriyaki, for instance, arrives with truffle oil — a somewhat unconventional ingredient in Japanese cuisine. Saba (mackerel), uni (sea urchin), and hotate (scallop) make cameos in nigiri and sashimi when the season is right.  “We upped the game — a lot of new items are traditional, modern, but unexpected,” says Mosones, pointing to A5 beef carpaccio as a solid new starter.  Meanwhile, maki options include a sour cream-and-onion roll with osetra caviar, black porgy, and potato. Hot dishes — partitioned into meat, seafood, and vegetarian sections – include pork katsu senbei with panko, shichimi, and tonkatsu; lobster tail koganeyaki with chives and spicy aioli; gyoza with beef and cabbage; and a five-mushroom medley sauteed in teriyaki. At Bar Japonais 2.0 (Katsumi), the group netted a big fish as its general manager: Andra “AJ” Johnson, a hospitality vet and 2025 James Beard semifinalist (for Outstanding Cocktail Service), who more recently led the bar at Serenata.  The bar program also dials into more Japanese ingredients and influences. The multi-toned Matcha Mood, for instance, is a yuzu-vodka drink layered with strawberry. Other drinks include the Nitoro Kohi, a Japanese take on the espresso martini with vodka, nitro cold brew, shochu, Okinawan sugar, and Benedictine; and the Anko-Iada, a blend of rum, mango, pineapple, adzuki bean, and coconut milk. There’s also an expansive sake list that includes rarities by the bottle. Bar Japonais’s minimalist look of matte-black surfaces and a stark central bar composed of cement provided a ready-to-wear canvas for Katsumi. “We wanted to give the restaurant some personality to reflect the new menu,” he says. See: lots of neon-lit signage inside spilling into the street, moody murals, and pops of color throughout.  Katsumi will be the place to see and be seen come Friday and Saturday nights, when the front half flips into a music-oriented venture outfitted with plush new lounge seating.  Bar Chinois, the team’s original spot that started it all in Mt. Vernon Triangle, continues to enjoy a devoted following for its dumplings, Frenchified cocktails, and small plates from happy hour until late. A second Bar Chinois popped across the Potomac last year in Arlington. ...read more read less